As of 2004, Sunday circulation was 211,735, making it 64th in the United States in largest reported circulation (for any day).

The paper's honors include the Pulitzer Prize gold medal for public service in 1996. The paper's earlier Pulitzers were awarded for criticism in 1989 and for commentary in 1983. The N&O was rated higher than many larger newspapers in a quality survey sponsored by the Columbia Journalism Review in 1999.